Truth be told, it had been a long week. One spent mostly trying to convince herself she didn’t miss Dillon. She didn’t suffer from a broken heart, because she wasn’t in love with him. It was loneliness that made her chest ache.
She might have succeeded too, if she hadn’t lain in bed every night staring at her cell phone, willing the darn thing to ring. What she missed the most this week were those late night conversations.
All notions, of course, that made her feel like a stupid, silly schoolgirl. She hadn’t been that naïve girl in a long time and it irked her to no end that Dillon of all people rendered her so defenseless.
Finally, deciding on a version of the truth, she shrugged. “Slow and very low-key. Being my last week, they transferred most of my clients to the other accountants. It was mostly spent tidying up loose ends.”
Mrs. James pursed her lips, a look of soft sympathy coming over her features. “Must be lonely in that house all by yourself now.”
She sighed. His mother was a smart woman.
“A little.” She turned her gaze to the top of Annie’s soft, fuzzy head. She’d spent the week going through the rest of her sister’s belongings. Which made her miss Janey even more. Made her angry that Janey had done something so completely reckless and selfish it cost her life.
Which put Emma back to square one, where she started seven weeks ago—alone, struggling to deal with her sister’s death, with the fact she’d become a single mother and her entire family was simply gone.
“Well, now you can move back to town, be closer to us. Then you won’t feel so alone.”
Tears welled unbidden in her eyes at the kindness in the older woman’s voice, at the simple, honest emotion in the dark eyes. Eyes so very much like her son’s. “You’re a very wise woman, Mrs. James.”
His mother offered a gentle smile. “I told you, it’s Camilla.”
“Camilla.” She returned the smile.
“You and your sister always were like family. Don’t ever forget that.”
Emma shook her head. “Forgive me for saying so, but I’m afraid your husband doesn’t agree.”
“Ethan will get over it.” Mrs. James leaned in, her voice low, a conspiratorial twinkle in her eye. “He’s more bark than bite. I promise.”
Emma kissed the side of Annie’s head and stopped to inhale her sweet, clean baby scent. “I missed her terribly this week. Was she much trouble?”
“Never.” Camilla shook her head, her gaze on Annie. “I swear she has to be the most easygoing baby I’ve ever seen. She’s such a pleasure.” Camilla lifted her gaze, the question in her eyes even before the words left her mouth. “Are you still staying with Dillon? He’ll be gone all night. Why don’t you stay for supper? Give us time to catch up.”
Emma lowered her gaze to the floor and shook her head. “I’m staying with Mrs. Emerson at the bed and breakfast.”
Camilla’s brows knit together, confusion in the older woman’s eyes. “You aren’t staying with Dillon?”
Emma opened her mouth to answer, longed to spill the truth, simply for another woman to talk to; it had been so long since she allowed herself to confide in a female. The sound wouldn’t leave her mouth. She couldn’t share intimate details with Dillon’s mother.
She closed her mouth and gave a slow, sad shake of her head, all the response she could muster.
Camilla pursed her lips, sadness filling her eyes. “Something happened.”
Emma sighed and straightened in her seat. “I don’t feel it would be appropriate for me to stay in his house anymore.”
His mother didn’t look convinced. She opened her mouth, but the front door slammed, interrupting her words.
“Ma?”
At the sound of Dillon’s voice, Emma’s heart jumped into her throat, an overwhelming array of emotion thrumming through her. She didn’t know if she wanted to see him yet, if only because she craved the sight of him. How in the world was she supposed to act around him now? They’d gone and complicated their relationship. They couldn’t go back from where they’d been. Things weren’t so simple anymore.
Dillon stopped short in the archway to the room. His gaze fell on her, surprise lighting in his eyes. “Em. Hey.”
For a long moment, he regarded her in silence, and Emma twisted her hands in her lap, waiting for something to tell her how to respond. Awkward tension zipped between them, the air filling with wants and needs and things better left unsaid. His eyes filled with longing, regret and need, and tugged at the place inside of her that missed him this last week.